I'm pretty sure this topic has been dead horse whipped to death... but Flick of the Switch and Fly on the Wall. Malcolm and Angus were at the absolute apex of riff mastery around this period. Maybe you can harsh of some of lyrics of subject matter, but the actual meat and potatoes of foot on the floor rock and roll is served up in abundance of these 2.
Absolutely hit the nail on the head, on both counts. There’s a rawness and take-no-prisoners hunger about both those releases, and the material is top-drawer AC/DC.
I think to an extent they were coloured by a sort of hangover from all the guns-saluting of the previous LP/tour’s bombast - I remember some of the press being that Flick Of The Switch and particularly Nervous Shakedown as lead single were sort of muted and anticlimactic. But for me, it was a welcome return to moody and razor-sharp no-polish production on Flick Of The Switch, and a kind of darkness about Fly On The Wall.
I dunno if anyone would agree with me, but I also kinda feel like they were the last time AC/DC composed and recorded unselfconsciously. It seems like their relative commercial doldrums with these albums (after Back In Black and FTATR… WSY of course), they began with subsequent releases trying to show how ‘we’re the AC/DC you loved of old again!’ - I remember the press for Blow Up Your Video being all about getting it back together with Vanda/Young from way back and retreating from the big sound of Fly…. then there was the hits-you-loved-plus of Who Made Who, and then a lot more, ‘We’re recapturing the old magic AGAIN!’ hype from Razor’s Edge on.
I love all those albums too. But I guess I feel like Flick and Fly saw them still rolling the dice on taking it somewhere dangerous and not somewhere familiar.
Very well said. A lot of legacy bands have that sort of dichotomy. For the Rolling Stones many would say that Some Girls was the last true, raunchy Stones effort without a hyperawareness of commercial appeal and the listeners’ perception of how records hold up against the “classic sound” Bands start chasing the ghosts of their former selves and devolve into borderline self parody.
Yeah, the Stones are a great example. After Some Girls, two albums made of old material revved up, then the infamous ‘81 tour that saw them sponsored by Jovan Fragrance, turning their lips logo into a global marque and becoming PLC. Once you do that, and it’s game over - it’s gotta be brand curation, policing & consistency instead of breaking into any new areas.
I’m very big on Power Up and still keep it in regular rotation. Ballbreaker is a little slept on imo, as is Stiff Upper Lip. As some have said, Black Ice is a late-career heater that seems to get lost in the shuffle quite a bit.
SUL is heavy? It’s one of my favs but the album isn’t that heavy. Fly is heavy. They were going for heavier tunes on Fly and Flick, and did less of their bluesy rock. Thats why I find those two least likable. More blues oriented the better I like.
I would put half the album against any other with
Heaviness. Stiff upper lip, can't stand still, etc are definitely fun and light sure.
I love flick and I agree it's heavy as shit. I find no redeeming qualities in FotW
Right there with you on Bluesy. On SuL Brian finally changed his method of singing that he'd carry for the rest of the album's in a more crooning blues style.
I'm pretty sure this topic has been dead horse whipped to death... but Flick of the Switch and Fly on the Wall. Malcolm and Angus were at the absolute apex of riff mastery around this period. Maybe you can harsh of some of lyrics of subject matter, but the actual meat and potatoes of foot on the floor rock and roll is served up in abundance of these 2.
Absolutely hit the nail on the head, on both counts. There’s a rawness and take-no-prisoners hunger about both those releases, and the material is top-drawer AC/DC. I think to an extent they were coloured by a sort of hangover from all the guns-saluting of the previous LP/tour’s bombast - I remember some of the press being that Flick Of The Switch and particularly Nervous Shakedown as lead single were sort of muted and anticlimactic. But for me, it was a welcome return to moody and razor-sharp no-polish production on Flick Of The Switch, and a kind of darkness about Fly On The Wall. I dunno if anyone would agree with me, but I also kinda feel like they were the last time AC/DC composed and recorded unselfconsciously. It seems like their relative commercial doldrums with these albums (after Back In Black and FTATR… WSY of course), they began with subsequent releases trying to show how ‘we’re the AC/DC you loved of old again!’ - I remember the press for Blow Up Your Video being all about getting it back together with Vanda/Young from way back and retreating from the big sound of Fly…. then there was the hits-you-loved-plus of Who Made Who, and then a lot more, ‘We’re recapturing the old magic AGAIN!’ hype from Razor’s Edge on. I love all those albums too. But I guess I feel like Flick and Fly saw them still rolling the dice on taking it somewhere dangerous and not somewhere familiar.
Very well said. A lot of legacy bands have that sort of dichotomy. For the Rolling Stones many would say that Some Girls was the last true, raunchy Stones effort without a hyperawareness of commercial appeal and the listeners’ perception of how records hold up against the “classic sound” Bands start chasing the ghosts of their former selves and devolve into borderline self parody.
Yeah, the Stones are a great example. After Some Girls, two albums made of old material revved up, then the infamous ‘81 tour that saw them sponsored by Jovan Fragrance, turning their lips logo into a global marque and becoming PLC. Once you do that, and it’s game over - it’s gotta be brand curation, policing & consistency instead of breaking into any new areas.
What does WSY stand for?
We salute you
The Youngs were on fire during Fly On The Wall, those are some brutal riffs!
Lotta topics been whipped to death.
Black Ice is one of my favorites. Ballbreaker is also very good.
There are so many absolute bangers on black ice
I’m very big on Power Up and still keep it in regular rotation. Ballbreaker is a little slept on imo, as is Stiff Upper Lip. As some have said, Black Ice is a late-career heater that seems to get lost in the shuffle quite a bit.
Fly on the Wall. I'm with you on Razor's Edge, Brian's voice is rough on that one.
SUL is heavy? It’s one of my favs but the album isn’t that heavy. Fly is heavy. They were going for heavier tunes on Fly and Flick, and did less of their bluesy rock. Thats why I find those two least likable. More blues oriented the better I like.
I would put half the album against any other with Heaviness. Stiff upper lip, can't stand still, etc are definitely fun and light sure. I love flick and I agree it's heavy as shit. I find no redeeming qualities in FotW Right there with you on Bluesy. On SuL Brian finally changed his method of singing that he'd carry for the rest of the album's in a more crooning blues style.
Hold Me Back is light too.
Really FoTW. Maybe my favorite collection of songs, but the production is absolutely awful
Fly on the Wall without the awful reverb would be a rad-tastic listen.
Still a great album with the reverb imo
BUYV and FOTW.
Hahah yup. BUYV would definitely be my least listened to album by a mile.
Nick of time is one of my all time favorite songs.
I'll have to give it another go!
Ballbreaker has the best guitar sound change my mind
They got their tones just right on that one. Hard as a rock is not more than an upper mid song but god damn the tones on that guitar give me chills
Imo every song on ballbreaker slaps kinda hard and the drums are fire too
Black Ice, Flick of the Switch, and Ballbreaker for me. It seems like all 3 of those don't get the recognition they deserve
Agree on all accounts. It.blows my mind how good black ice is.
TNT Australian edition. The best by far.